GUINEA-BISSAU/PORTUGAL, Sr. M. Paula Leite. For the third year running, the Bafatá Diocese in Guinea-Bissau from 7-26 July, welcomed ten youth (six girls and four boys) from the Schoenstatt Youth in Lisbon, six mothers and two fathers, and Rosana Silva from the Schoenstatt Women’s Institute (Institute Our Lady of Schoenstatt).
Blessing of a wayside shrine by Bishop Pedro
Published below is a blog post about the event on 18 July: http://igrejadebissau.blogspot.pt [Portuguese]
“In the centenary year of the Schoenstatt Movement, the parish community of Our Lady of Grace in Bafatá on 18 July joyfully blessed a beautiful wayside shrine in the Catholic Mission space. The ceremony began with a procession from Our Lady of Fatima Chapel with the recital of the rosary until the venue for the Mass and ended with the blessing of the wayside shrine by Bishop Pedro Zilli, who also celebrated Holy Mass. Rosana Silva from Brazil, who is a consecrated member of the movement, explained that a wayside shrine is traditionally a small place of popular piety built in a secluded place. It is a place of encounter with God. She invited the participants to visit the wayside shrine in order to meet with God, his Son Jesus Christ and our Lady, the Pilgrim Mother.
Bishop Pedro said that he was very happy about yet another of God’s gifts in the Diocese of Bafatá. He said that he never thought that one day, Bafatá would receive such a beautiful gift: A wayside shrine for an encounter with God.
Pilgrim Mother images were blessed: these will visit the families, taking her motherly love to her Son Jesus. Bishop Pedro thanked Fr. Abraao Ambessum Sambá, the former parish priest who attended the celebration, for welcoming the Schoenstatt Movement. He also thanked the current parish priest, Fr. Alberto Gomes and his vicar for their hospitality. The blessing of the wayside shrine, is the highlight of the three years of missionary presence in Bafata during the month of July by the Portuguese youth, accompanied by Rosana Silva, a consecrated member of the movement.”
Source: http://schoenstatt50aveiro.blogspot.pt/
Translated from the Portuguese by Sarah-Leah Pimentel, South Africa
